General

Task Force Three is generally the TF that is in charge of Science and Exploration. Its Port of Call, the SS Helmut Kohl serves as the operational, diplomatic and repair/resupply operations of the entire Task Force. The SS Helmut Kohl is located in orbit of a planet in the Barrett System, almost 70 Lightyears from Pinastri Prime

The 3rd Task Force consists of 4 other "player controlled" chapters and a supply of NPC Ships are also available for added mission support.

History

Task Force Three was conceived by the need to set up a Federation port of call that was located a fair distance away from the Pinastri System. The idea was that Task Force Three would help expanding UF Starfleet's presence in the Delta Quadrant and return to Starfleet's edict of exploration and discovery. The recent events of UF Starfleet had meant that previously, it had grown increasingly difficult for UF Starfleet to return to exploratory path after numerous engagements with hostile alien races.

With the need of a mobile command post clearly established, Lieutenant Dinero Outlander proposed setting up a command point in the Barrett System, approximately seventy lightyears away from Pinastri Prime. UFS Command finally approved the plan for construction of the SS Helmut Kohl on stardate 120114 after a fair few months of deliberation and exploring various other options.

A small Fleet of the Federation Support Ships and their escorts, including the USS Arcos left carrying the Station Crew and construction materials and the Station was completed almost a month later. SS Helmut Kohl quickly established itself as the command centre for the entire Third Task Force and has been instrumental in helping to coordinate ships in the region.

SS Echelon was also constructed on Stardate 120116, in a top secret location, unaware to the SS Helmut Kohl although it has been assigned to aid the development of a stable task-force in the region.

On Stardate 120225, the Fleet left the newly completed SS Helmut Kohl and returned to Pinastri for reassignment. The SS Helmut Kohl has since been assigned a new Fleet for the region.

On Stardate 120408, Captain Hanna Kestrel discovered and recovered the USS Sheppard a vessel that many had considered lost for quite some time. The ship was returned to Pinastri and was put back into active service, serving a support role in the 3rd Task Force.

The Task Force was tested to its limit on Stardate 120502, when the SS Helmut Kohl received a distress call from the USS Republic which had been heavily damaged by a new hostile alien species, the Pax Magellanic. The USS Sheppard was first to arrive on the scene and was successful in saving the USS Republic how the USS Sheppard was pulled in a wormhole which the Pax Magellanic use to travel to the Milky Way from the Triangulum Galaxy and was deemed lost. The crew of the SS Helmut Kohl onboard the USS Wraith escorted the crippled cruiser home for a full refit and repair.

On Stardate 120520, Task Force 3 received a large contingent of support vessels to aid in exploration and operations within the distant sector. The crew of the USS Republic was also put on trial for crimes committed during the Pax Magellanic campaign. Commander D'Deridex Orici was removed of command and sentenced to 60 years in a Federation prison.

In an alternate future, set twenty years after 2387. Task Force 3 had been decimated by the second Pax Magellanic invasion of the Milky Way and the Pinastri System. SS Helmut Kohl was reduced to a hulk after conventional weapons proved useless against the wisp-ships, causing the crew to abandon the station. This future was averted by the crew of the USS Republic who travelled back in time to commandeer the USS Colossus, a vessel that had been compromised by the Pax Magellanic and destroyed by the Republic causing a loss of over 800 lives. The crew managed to purge the Pax Magellanic presence on the ship and seal the second forming Pax Wormhole, causing history to be averted.

Task Force 3 Command Personnel

Fleet Elements

Task Force 3 is under the supervision of Commander Dinero Outlander and the SS Helmut Kohl which is located in sector 007H, the Barrett System, almost 70 Lightyears away from the Pinastri System. It takes 10 days at Warp 9 to get to the Barrett System so the SS Helmut Kohl independently serves as the UFS Port of Call for all the ships in the region that are heading out to explore the far reaches of the Nekrit Expanse.

Despite the distance, passengers and high ranking Starfleet officials regularly travel to this clandestine area of space and make SS Helmut Kohl one of the key installations within the entire of UFS and possibly the most important diplomatic and strategic outpost. This strategic importance is what makes SS Helmut Kohl practically the Deep Space Nine of United Federation Starfleet. As result the station is equipped with a high level of scientific and diplomatic facilities as well as impressive shield and weapons array capable of deterring most threats looking to acquire new pieces of hardware.

Located in a previous undisclosed location, USS Echelon ship is the central intelligence hub for the entire of United Federation Starfleet. The crew are almost entirely members of UFS Intelligence branch and assist the efforts in the Delta Quadrant by subtlety and misdirection. The location of USS Echelon is so highly classified that only United Federation Starfleet Flag Officers are aware of its location. It is known that the station is in a region of space that is extremely hard to navigate, leaving one to only speculate what kind of top secret research goes on at the station.

Under Commander Galia Iadyl, USS Echelon has flourished, provoking the curiosity and excitement of all United Federation Starfleet due to its secret nature. It has been the source of much rumor and speculation which the Commander will not confirm or deny. All United Federation Starfleet classified materials and files have been moved to the station for safe keeping, making it a treasure trove of controversial information.

Leading the way into this exploratory frontier, is the Intrepid ClassUSS Sheppard, a legend of UFS. The USS Sheppard was discovered adrift and all her crew were either taken prisoner or slaughtered, the ship drifted for many months until it was finally recovered by Captain Hanna Kestrel who returned with the ship to Pinastri for a full repair and refit. Captain Kestrel retained command of the USS Sheppard after that and was successful in opening up the great unknown.

The USS Sheppard, the same class as the famous USS Voyager is equipped with highly advanced science suites and research labs. The ship is also equipped to deal with both diplomatic and medical crises on the neighboring worlds and allies of United Federation Starfleet. However the primary function of the USS Sheppard is exploration and preparing for that which is not yet known.